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Vlindrel:Escape to the Forlorn Fire
---- ---- ---- As soon as the knight asks his question a loud bell rings from a tall tower looking down over the courtyard. Ahiga: He's already pulling the net off and helps Tate up. He looks up to the tower, and the around, seeing torches glowing in several of the windows in the walls around the courtyard. Shit, they sounded they alarm! White Knight: With me! He starts running towards an already opened door under an awning that leads into a wide hall lined with rows of crumbling prison cells. Tate: He looks at Ahiga for a moment and then starts running after the knight, not knowing what else to do. Loki trails behind him, running across the floor and leaping up onto Tate's pantleg, then runs up his back and onto his shoulder. The ferret turns around and looks back as he holds onto Tate's beanie and the collar of his shirt. Ahiga: He sprints after them, the adrenaline burning through his muscles allowing him to keep pace behind Tate. A pair of Undead Jailers suddenly run through another door to the courtyard, they're about a hundred feet behind them, but they're picking up speed. One has a huge sickle, while the other has an old whip. Both jailers are carrying the same kinds of nets that the first was. Tate: Loki lets out several high-pitched "yips" and points backwards with one paw. Tate looks back and sees the Jailers. There's two more chasing us! White Knight: He looks back at Tate and Ahiga, seeing that they're easily keeping pace with him he speeds up a little, then passed the two boys to the Jailers. Seeing that the boys are right behind him, he starts running faster. Stay close! As the three of them pass through an archway and they enter a large and mostly run-down cafteria hall. He turns and grabs the large door to the area and slams it shut, then grabs a large table and overturns it against the front of the door. He looks at Tate and Ahiga. Keep running! He grabs a large barrel and slowly starts moving it towards the door. It's obviously full of something heavy as the old wood creaks as he slowly moves it. Ahiga: He's suddenly pushing up against the barrel to help the Knight move it towards the door. Sickle Jailer: The large door is suddenly slammed as one of the Jailers crashes against it, pushing the table a few inches away from it. Some of the wood on the door splinters off and a large bloodied eye peers through at them. darting around. FRESHLESH FLESHRESH! White Knight: He lunges with his sword-spear and thrusts his weapon through the door and into the warden's eye. He rips his weapon out immediately afterwards. Sickle Jailer: He lets out a gargling yell and falls backwards from the door. The other jailer slams into the door in his place, causing more of it to break apart. White Knight: Push! He pushes with all his strength, along with Ahiga, and slams the barrel up against the table, pushing it back into place. We move! He turns and slings his large weapon back onto his shoulder and starts moving for a door at the other end of the cafeteria hall, passing by Tate, Tate starts following after him, looking back at Ahiga. Ahiga: He quickly follows after the two of them. There's a high-pitched whistle in the air, and a long black arrow suddenly stabs into the Knight's right shoulder as he runs across the large room. White Knight: He stumbles slightly and grabs at his shoulder, then slows down and looks to where it must've been shot from. Keep moving! We're almost there! High up in the wall, looking down at them from a crumbled hole in the wall, is a thin figure dressed in a mixture of animal hides and a hooded cloak made of crow feathers, with what appears to be a heavy cage-like iron helmet. She's looking down at the knight from the opening with piercing grey eyes. Between the bars of the helmet the Knight can make out a soft pale face, feminine in features. As the figure gets a better look at the knights weapon, she tilts her head, then raises her large steel bow and lets loose another shot, the arrow whistling as it flies through the air. White Knight: He sees the figure raise her weapon and uses the hesitation to roll out of the path of the projectile, breaking into a run as he gets to his feet. He lets his weapon drag heavily behind him as he grabs the arrow in his shoulder and grits in pain as he breaks the back half of it off. The figure leaps from the top of the wall and lands onto one of the tables, destroying it as she rolls to the ground. She quickly stands and turns, knocking another arrow, waiting for a moment where her aim can't miss the mark. A dozen feet behind her the Whip Jailers bursts through the barricade that Ahiga and the Knight created a moment ago. White Knight: Just keep running straight down that hall! We're not far now! He watches Tate and Ahiga run down the hallway ahead of him, as he tries to catch up, both boys having gotten much farther ahead of him after he was shot. As he runs into the hall he grabs at the door and quickly slams it shut behind him and then turns and runs as fast as he can, resting his weapon on his left shoulder. As the Knight slams the door shut another arrow bursts halfway through it, stopping at the level of his head. A second arrow quickly bursts through right next to it, followed immediately by a third just below the other two. A moment later the Jailer crashes through the doorway. White Knight: He's obvious tired, having trouble catching up to Tate and Ahiga. He looks back as he hears the jailers burst through the door, but shoulders on without stopping. Ahiga: He and Tate run through a small room and then through an open entryway, out onto a long crumbling stone bridge. He stops suddenly as he nearly runs right off a crumbling ledge right at the center of the bridge. The Whip Jailers is quickly closing in on the knight and he raises his hand and heavily throws his net at him. Tate: He's obviously getting winded now as he stops running and bends forwards, putting his hands on his knees. His breathing is getting raspy and he coughs a few times, even with the adrenaline rush he can't keep running like this for much longer. Loki suddenly lets out another set of screeching "yips" and points backwards, passed the Knight trailing behind them. Knight: He immediately takes this to mean that the Jailer is gaining on him, since that's the same sound the animal did to warn them moments ago and turns to look back. As he sees the Jailer throw his net, the Knight turns and yells out in pains as he swings his weapon haphazardly with one arm, almost like an oversized bat, the net tangles up around it instead of him, and he lets it fall heavily behind him as he makes his way into the entry hall. Ahiga: He slows down at the halfway point and looks back at the Knight and waits for Tate to catch up to him. We should help him! Tate: He coughs several times and then looks back. With what? He looks back, then up seeing that the entrance to this prison has an old iron portcullis raised. Loki, go! Loki seems to know what Tate's thinking and leaps from Tate's shoulder and runs through the prison entryway, where he dissapears. C'mon guy, run! Whip Jailer: He lashes out his whip and it cracks across the knight's back, breaking open the back of his leather armor and causing ribbons of blue cloth to fly off of him. FRESH! White Knight: He yells out in pain, despite his armor preventing injury the lash still stings. He drives onwards starting to speed up a little. He runs through the entryway and out onto the bridge, nearly collapsing as he reaches Tate and Ahiga. Tate: He takes a deep breath, holding it as he watches the Jailer quickly closing in. Ahiga: He tries to help the Knight up. We need to keep going! He grabs the knight's left arm and puts it around his shoulder. Tate, what are you doing?! The Jailer runs through the entryway he lashes out with his weapon towards Tate. Tate: Just before the Jailers reach the entryway he yells out. NOW LOKI! The little ferret pushes with all his strength to pop up a small winch beside the portcullis, and the chains suddenly let loose as the iron gate comes crashing down onto the jailer just as he runs under it, crushing and impaling him. Tate lets out a gasp of relief and breaths heavily. The Jailer tries to yell or move, but can't do anything to save himself, and after a moment his body turns to ash that piles up and begins to blow away, leaving only his whip and clothing. Ahiga: ...Damn, that's quick fucking thinking! He looks at the Knight. You gonna be alright man? White Knight: I'll live for now. He stands up and starts making his way across the bridge. He hoists his sword-spear onto his left shoulder as he moves. We shouldn't linger here. Ahiga: Right. He nods and then looks to Tate as he starts to follow the Knight. Tate: He watches Loki run out between the bars of the portcullis and across the bridge to Tate. He looks up at Tate and opens his mouth a little, in a way that almost makes him look like he's smiling. Yeah, yeah, you saved us. C'mon. He holds out his hand, and Loki jumps up to it and runs up Tate's arm. Tate turns and quickly walks after Ahiga and the Knight. As they near the end of the long bridge there's a far-off whistle. An arrow slices through the top of Tate's beanie, missing his scalp, but hitting close enough to split open the top of his hat. The arrow continues onwards and pierces into the back of Ahiga's knee. Ahiga: He lets out a sudden cry of agony and falls to the stone floor. Tate: Ahiga! He runs up and grabs him, trying to help him up as he looks back at the prison to see where the arrow came from. At the top of the prison's ramparts Tate sees the woman cloaked in raven's feathers. She lets loose another arrow and it whistles as it flies through the air. Tate: Get down! He pulls Ahiga down with him. White Knight: No! Keep moving! He grabs Ahiga and pulls him out of the way, the arrow barely missing him. Ahiga: He yells out in pain as he limps to his feet, using the Knight pull himself up. Another whistle quickly follows after the black arrow clatters to the stone, barely missing Ahiga. Tate: He quickly starts half-running, half jogging, to the end of the bridge. The Knight helps Ahiga move forward. The next arrow slices through Tate's left shoulder, just barely missing its mark due to his small frame. There's another whistle that follows it, but it falls short and sticks into the dirt as they run off of the bridge and into the woods. White Knight: A few minutes of travelling into the woods, he leads them to a crumbled ruin on the side of the road. A quiet river runs just on the other side of it. As they move into the ruin Ahiga and Tate can see a small campfire smoldering in at the center. The Knight drops his weapon and then, in a quick and sudden motion, he rips the arrow from his shoulder. He yells out painfully and falls to his knees, holding his hands out over the bonfire. The embers from the flames rush up and around him, touching his skin and padded gauntlets. Smoke begins to rise from the wound in his shoulder, and he lets out a gasp of relief before sitting back. We'll rest here for a moment. He pulls down his hood, revealing his bright blond hair and allowing them to finally get a good look at his face as he looks to Ahiga. The town is a trek from here, near the end of the river. Ahiga: He slowly sits down on a rock and lets out a long sigh. Do they have a doctor? He's breathing heavily, and speaks with clear difficulty. White Knight: Doctor? He looks to Tate, then back to Ahiga. I'm not sure of your meaning. Ahiga: A healer... Someone that can fix my leg. He looks at the Knight with obvious deseration. White Knight: You mean to say that you don't heal on your own? He looks between them a few times. Ahiga: Not a wound like this. He closes his eyes and leans back against the rubble. Even though it's solid stone it feels better than sitting up. White Knight: When I first saw you, the two of you were very badly hurt, but now you seem much better. I just assumed... You had an ability that restored your health... But yes, there's someone that will be able to restore your leg. He looks to Tate, seeming to look them over. I'm Caspian of Loyce, circumstance didn't allow me to introduce myself sooner. He smiles a little for a moment. Tate: I'm Tate, this is my friend Ahiga. He looks down at Ahiga's leg as he sits next to him. Caspian: Have you travelled here from afar? He adjusts himself, getting more comfortable. It's obvious that his wounds are either gone or he's not bothered by them anymore. Ahiga: We were thrown down there. He takes deep breaths, trying to stay calm and ignore the arrow sticking through his leg. By a monster... Caspian: Thrown down? That must've been why you were so badly hurt when I first saw you. Tate: At the prison, a woman in black, with a silver helmet, gave us something called "Pale Blood". It hurt, but it healed us. When we woke up she was gone. Caspian: ...Pale blood? He looks down and thinks. Ahiga: He takes a deep breath. You said when you first saw us we were badly hurt, did you follow us to the prison? Caspian: When I saw the Jailer drag the two of you off I thought it would be best if I saw where he was taking you. Unfortunately it took me quite some time to find my way into the prison and avoid raising the alarm. I was glad to find the two of you in much better condition than when I first saw you... Well, relatively speaking... He smiles a little again. Ahige: Well thanks. If you hadn't shown up when you did, I'm not sure we'd have made it. Caspian: I'm the White Knight of Forlorin... Or so they've dubbed me... I'm not yet a real knight. He grabs his sword-spear and stands up. ...But I'd like to think, as a future knight, it's my duty to help people in need. Tate: We owe you our lives. Loki is sniffing at Ahiga's leg. ...Loki thinks he can get the arrow out. Ahiga: He looks at the ferret and sits up. Is that a good idea? Caspian: At least break it off, else it will make the wound worse when it catches onto something. He looks down at them, eyeing the little animal. Ahiga: He lets out a long groan. Better get chewing then, Loki. Just don't get your slobber all into the wound... Please... He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, waiting for the pain. And do it quick... Tate: He leans forwards and lifts up Ahiga's leg. Get it Loki. The familiar leans under Ahiga's leg and puts his jaws around the arrow shaft, then bites down with surprising strength. After a second there's a loud snap and he lets go of the arrow haft. Ahiga: He yells out in pain. Ahh... Ahh... Despite the pain he feels a little relief knowing that this might help a little. ...It hurts worse than that time I twisted my ankle during football practice... Caspian: Football? Tate: It's a game... In the place we come from... Where are we anyway? He rips what's left of the sleeve from his hoodie and wraps it around Ahiga's leg. Caspian: This is the Nabalwald, a large forest that stretches north, west, and east of Forlorin. Ahiga: Thanks... Loki... He takes a deep breath. ...Where is Dzeh? He looks around as if he just suddenly realized the Stag was gone. I... Don't feel him anywhere... At all... Tate: That monster, Chris... Whatever, cracked him in the head pretty hard with his tail and he disappeared. He stands up and dusts off his torn up clothing. Ahiga: Yeah but... He should be with me by now... He looks around, seeming to be worried. We've been here for hours... If he were here, he could've healed me... Caspian: The sooner we start moving, the sooner we can reach town, the sooner you can be restored. He looks between the two of them. If we linger too long, you may get too weak to continue. He walks over and holds out his hand to Ahiga. Ahiga: He reaches up and grabs the knight's hand. Let's keep moving then. I've dealt with enough undead monsters and evil archers for one evening. Caspian: We move for town then. He starts walking towards the creek on the other side of the ruin. Tate: He looks up at the strange green sky, wondering where the hell they've fallen to. ---- About a half hour later... ---- Most of the time they've spent walking, they were next to the river, but now they've moved back into the woods a bit, as Caspian leads them to a large clearing, full of ruined junk. Caspian: He walks out into the clearing and looks around. I often come here to scavenge for materials. Strange things frequently appear here. It's where I happened upon the two of you being dragged off. Tate: He looks around, then seen something familiar. That's my phone! He runs over to it and picks it up, holding down the button to turn it on, he raises it up as if he has any chance of getting a signal here. ...Nothing. No bars... And the battery's low. Ahiga: I guess it was a long shot... He looks around a little, still in a lot of pain. Can we keep moving? Caspian: He starts moving again, helping Ahiga along. Yes, let's continue to town. He turns and walks through the area. There's strange stuff piled up everywhere in this clearing. Bones of alien looking creatures, large rusted junk, ruins of odd looking buildings, and bundles of worn weaponry. I'm not the only one that come here to scavenge. Ahiga: He looks at an rusted old machine as he and Caspian pass by it. It's overgrown with moss and vines. Is that my dad's old tractor? The one that fell into the sinkhole? Tate: Huh? He walks over to it and looks it over. Seeing a "John Deer" logo rusted out on the side when he wipes away some moss. I guess it is... Wonder if it still runs. Ahiga: He groans a little. That thing looks like it's been sitting here for a hundred years. The battery's gotta be deader than dead. He starts walking with Caspian. Let's just get the hell to town, I can't take much more of my leg being like this... Tate: He follows after them. After a moment he looks back at the tractor, the only thing they've seen so far that's at all familiar, and a reminder of home. How much farther to town? Caspian: Not far now. We're more than halfway there. He looks to Ahiga. Will you make it? Ahiga: As long as we keep moving... Sweat is starting to run down his face. Caspian: You said earlier that you knew a healer, one that could restore you leg. Is this healer from your land as well? Ahiga: He takes a deep breath. ...Something like that... It's... Well you know about giant zombies so... I'm going to guess that you know what a spirit is? He looks up and around. This place seems fantastical enough for that... Caspian: I know of them, but I've never seen one. He looks around. My parents once said that they were numerous here, in ancient times, long before even their grandparent's grandparents. Ahiga: I can... Speak with them... It's a gift... He groans in pain, trying not to think of his leg. Caspian: There was a old man that passed through Forlorin some years ago, which is the town we're headed to. He practiced Animism, which conferred to him fantastic powers. He says it with a bit of wonder in the tone of his voice. Ahiga: Well, that's what I am... An Animist, and Dzeh is the spirit I'm closest with. He takes a long breath and closes his eyes for a moment. With a cooling mist, he can heal wounds. Caspian: Healing is a rare trait in this land... Hopefully your spirit returns to you. After a moment he looks back at Tate, who is looking at his phone. Is your friend an Animist too? He looks back to Ahiga, adjusting his shoulder a little bit so he can keep him from slipping off. Ahiga: He's... Uhh... Like... A sorcerer... I don't know what you'd call them here. He looks down at his leg. Caspian: A sorcerer? There are sorcerers throughout Vlindrel. One passed through Forlorin not too long ago, he wasn't impressed with my potential, but perhaps you and your friend would be up to his standards. Tate: I doubt it. I'm not a very powerful "sorcerer". He walks up next to Caspian and Ahiga. My sister was though. Maybe someday I'll be half as strong as she was. Ahiga: You'll get there Tate... You just gotta... Find something that suits you. Tate: You mean I have to find some crappy magic that I'm decent at... ---- About fifteen minutes later... ---- The three of them are walking through a tall ruined arc and into a small town, Ahiga isn't doing so well and can barely stay conscious as he's lost a lot of blood. Directly ahead of them it a raised platform, with a small bonfire at the top of it. Standing very close to the bonfire is a woman with curled auburn hair flowing down the front of her chest. She's wearing a deep red dress, with sleeves that end at the elbow, but fall all the way down to the floor. Over her head is an open hood that runs down her back like a cape, it flutters in the soft wind blowing through town. Despite her clothing getting close to the flames of the bonfire, they don't get burned, instead the fire dances over the cloth harmlessly. In the bonfire itself are a number of weapons, swords, spears, axes, and halberds, which glow with an incandescent power. Lady-in-Waiting: She's staring down into the flames, not even looking to Caspian or the others when she speaks. Her eyes shimmer and spark with the reflection of the warm flames. Knight of Forlorin... You have brought to me two otherworlders... Her voice is soft and comforting, despite it being somewhat aloof. I am the Lady-in-Waiting... I keep the holy flame, and tend to the safety of this hamlet... As the embers rise up and touch her hair, they melt into it, almost like water, and the light spreads up the strands of her hair, causing it to shimmer with warm orange light. ...Otherworlders... What is it you seek to find in this ebbing land? Tate: ...My friend here is badly hurt... Caspian said you could heal him. He looks to Ahiga. Lady-in-Waiting: The holy flame alleviates all harm... But to be linked to it is to be bound by its yoke... To be made whole until fate will no longer be undone, and hope kindles in its warmth... In this ebbing land, its warmth is the only way to persist... But you must accept this perennial blessing... For it may bring you misery everlasting... Tate: He thinks for a moment to try and fully understand her strange manner of speech. He doesn't have any other choice... He looks to Ahiga. He'll die without healing. Lady-in-Waiting: The Animist must accept of his own accord... For no other can choose to cozen his faze in his place. Caspian: He hoists Ahiga onto his shoulder and lightly taps the side of face several times to wake him. Do you hear the Lady's words? Do you accept? Ahiga: He takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. ...Yes... I accept... Sorry I'm a little... Light headed... Lady-in-Waiting: ...Young Animist... Bend thy knee before the Forlorn Fire... Embers crackle from the flames and seem to draw Ahiga towards the fire. He stumbles from Caspian's hold and falls to his knees. So that you may bathe... Again and again... In its holy flame... The bonfire suddenly pours out over Ahiga and flows over his body like water. Tate: Ahiga!? He runs up to try and grab him but doesn't want to get burned, unsure of what to do. Ahiga: It doesn't hurt Tate... It feels warm... Smoke rises from the covered wound in his knee, and the fire quickly burns the arrow away, until only unbroken skin remains. After a moment the flames melt into Ahiga's body, leaving his tanned skin to glow dimly, but that glow fades too soon after. Ahiga gets to his feet, his disposition far better than it was only seconds ago. He bends down and looks at his knee, pulling away the tourniquet that Tate made from his sleeve. It's gone... He rubs his hands over his knee, even the blood on his pants has banished. It's gone! He looks up at Tate with a bright smile, then to the woman. Thank you, so much. Lady-in-Waiting: The Forlorn Fire undoes physical injury... So long as you remain linked... Then so too will each lighten flame you happen upon... However, only the flames kept by one such as myself with heal with celerity... The waning flames of the land may require you to bask in their affection for much longer, should you require them to restore your strength... Tate: Is that what happened when we reached that campfire in the woods? He looks to Caspian. You held your hand out to it and the wound in your shoulder stopped bothering you. Caspian: Yes. He looks to Tate. When I was much younger, I came to this town seeking aid, much like you two did. The Lady-in-Waiting restored me, and here I have stayed ever since. Ahiga: I feel so much better... He runs his hands through his hair and lets out a content sigh. Tate: He looks to the Lady. You wouldn't happen to know how we could get back home? Lady-in-Waiting: Far have you fallen, and if you seekth to return from whence thee came, then far will you travel... For you have been colluded with Pale Blood, and only through its catharsis will you be able to return home... For its presence within you would make your passage insurmountable... Should you seek to return home, then I implore you to bask within the blessing of the Forlorn Fire, Young Witch... For the misery you seek cannot be otherwise overcome... And like so many will you be consumed by this ebbing land... Left to your final judgement... Tate: He looks to the flame. The only way home is to accept the bless of this fire... Because of the Pale Blood? ...We would be dead without the blood... Lady-in-Waiting: The Pale Blood is a machination, contrived by men, and absconded from their forebears. It has bound you to this land, and can only be expulsed from you with the efficacy of Grand Souls... If you are to return home, then you must accept the warmth of the holy flame, and seekth fallen kingdoms diffused across this ebbing land, for each was built upon the backbone of these Grand Souls, and within many of them do they still reside. Tate: He rolls his eyes a little as he thinks and mumbles to himself. This sounds like the start of a video game... He takes a deep breath as he thinks a little. Since I really have no other choice... And since my friend is already blessed... He looks to Ahiga, seeing that he's been fully healed. I accept the blessing of the fire. Lady-in-Waiting: ...Young Witch... Bend thy knee before the Forlorn Fire... Embers crackle from the flames and pull at Tate's ragged clothing, beckoning him towards the fire. Tate finds himself walking to the flames and then bending down on one knee. So that you may bathe... Again and again... In its holy flame... The bonfire crackles softly and its flames flow out and over his body, caressing his sore muscles and scrapped skin. It flows up and around Loki too, alighting the two of them with soothing fire, then suddenly its gone, but Tate still can feel a glimmer of its warmth, somewhere inside of him.